Door operating mechanism



p 6, 1966 w. J. ZIMMERLE ETAL 3,270,572

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Filed Oct. 1, 1964 2 Sheets-Sheet 1 INVENTORS Wi/b ur J. Z/mmer/e BY James E. Whe/an 5m The/r Aflorney p 1966 w. J. ZIMMERLE ETAL 3,270,572

DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM 2 Sheets-Sheet 2 Filed Oct. 1, 1964 m m mp N m mm lmm Wilbur J Z/mmer/e BY James E Whe/an flcgm hair A fforney United States Patent 3,270,572 DOOR OPERATING MECHANISM Wilbur J. Zimmerle and James E. Whelan, Dayton, Ohio, 'assignors to General Motors Corporation, Detroit, Mich, a corporation of Delaware Filed Oct. 1, 1964, Ser. No. 400,776 4 Claims. (Cl. 74--89.22)

This invention relates to garage door operators and more particularly an improved drive system therein.

One problem in typical automatic garage door operating systems is that of how to inexpensively reduce the driven speed of a carriage member off a relatively high speed electric drive motor or the like so as to effect a desirable rate of closing and open-ing movement of a door operatively connected to the carriage member.

An object of the present invention, therefore, is to improve garage door operating systems by the provision of a low-cost speed reduction pulley system for driving a door connected carriage element into opened and closed positions.

A further object of the present invention is to improve garage door operating systems by the provision therein of a belt-pulley system including movable differential pulley means for reducing the driven speed of a carriage member with respect to the speed of rotation of a drive motor in the system.

Yet another object of the present invention is to improve garage door operating systems by the provision therein of a continuous belt-pulley arrangement including a movable differential pulley operative to reduce the driven speed of a door connected carriage member off a relatively high speed electric motor or the like and wherein the differential pulley includes canted pulley components for locating the continuous belt out of frictional engagement with itself during its travel about the pulley system.

Further objects and advantages of the present invention will be apparent from the following description, reference being had to the accompanying drawings wherein a preferred embodiment of the present invention is clearly shown.

In the drawings:

FIGURE 1 is a view in side elevation of the garage door operator of the present invention;

FIGURE 2 is a schematic View of the pulley system of the present invention;

FIGURE 3 is an enlarged view in vertical section taken along the line 3-3 of FIGURE 1;

FIGURE 4 is a view in horizontal section taken along the line 44 of FIGURE 3;

FIGURE 5 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 5-5 of FIGURE 3; and

FIGURE 6 is a view in vertical section taken along the line 66 of FIGURE 5.

Referring now to the drawings, in FIGURE 1, the garage door operator of the present invention is illustrated as being associated with a garage door 10 supported by rollers 12 on a track 14 for movement into opened and closed positions therealong. In the illustrated embodiment of the invention the door 10 is connected to a link 16 having one end thereof pivotally connected at 18 to the door and the opposite end thereof pivotally connected to a depending bracket 20 on a carriage assembly 22 at 24.

The carriage assembly 22 of the improved operator is slidably supported for reciprocal movement on an elongated tubular track member 26 having one end thereof secured by a bracket 28 to a suitable support such as a front wall of a garage and the opposite end thereof secured to a bracket 30 adapted to be secured from a suitable support such as the ceiling of the garage. Ad-

' jacent the bracket 30 is supportingly located a reversilble electric drive motor 32 having its drive shaft 34 fixedly secured to a drive pulley 36. At the opposite end of the tubular track 26 is supported an idler pulley 38 rotatably mounted in a bearing block 40.

The drive pulley 36 and idler pulley 38 are part of an improved belt pulley system 42, best illustrated in FIGURE 2, that is operative to drive the carriage assembly 22 to and fro on the tubular track 26 for raising and lowering the door 10 connected thereto through the link 16. More specifically, the improved belt-pulley system 42 includes a continuous belt member 44 thatruns from the drive pulley 36 under a predetermined desired tension across a small diameter pulley 46 of a first pair of differential diameter pulleys 48 and thence across a small diameter pulley 50 of a second pair of differential diameter pulleys 52. From pulley 50 the belt 44 passes around the idler pulley 3'8 and thence to a large diameter pulley 54 of the pulley pair 52- and thence to a large diameter pulley 56 of the pulley pair 48 to return around the drive pulley 36. By virtue of the illustrated arrangement, the drive motor 32 operating at a substantial r.p.m. will act to move the carriage assembly 22 to and fro on the track 26 at a reduced speed dependent upon the relative diameters of the pulley components of the pulley pairs 48, 52. Accordingly, a relatively economical speed reduction off the motor 32 is obtained by means of a direct-acting drive arrangement for moving the carriage assembly along the path of the track 26.

One feature of the present invention is the support of the carriage assembly 22 on the track 26 and the manner in which the carriage 22 is stopped at each end of its travel along the track 26. More particularly, with reference to FIGURE 6, the assembly 22 is seen to have a tubular base 58 having radially inwardly directed indentations 60 formed at circumferentially arranged points therealong to effect a plural point supported relationship between the track 26 and the carriage 22 for reducing frictional forces therebetween so as to improve the sliding movement of the carriage assembly 22 along the track 26. Furthermore, the assembly 22 is illustrated as including a pair of bumper springs 62, 64 located, respectively, on either side of the base 58. Each of the springs 62, 64 is located within a spring retainer member 66 supported on either side of the base 58 by a vertically arranged side plate member 68 on either side of the base 58. The carriage assembly 22 includes a movable base plate 70 and a base plate member 72 fixedly secured to the tubular base 58 by gusset plates 74 at either end thereof. The plate 72 slidingly, supportingly receives the movable plate 70. The relatively sliding plates 70, 72 are held in guided relationship by a plurality of screw assemblies 76 secured to the fixed plate 72 and having one end thereof directed through enlarged openings 78 in the movable plate 70. Upon relative sliding movement between the movable plate 70 and the fixed plate 72, the bumper springs 62, 64 are compressed therebetween so as to dampen movement of the carriage assembly 22 at either end of the track 26 to thereby prevent undesirable impacting thereof against stops 80, 82 at opposite ends of the track.

Another feature of the present invention is the arrangement of the pairs of differential diameter pulleys 48, 52 which are each illustrated in detail -in FIGURES 3 through 6 as including the pulleys 46, 56 and 50, 54 being arranged in a colinear manner and as having somewhat helical grooves for receiving the continuous belt 44 in tension therearound. More specifically, with reference to the pulley pair 52, the pulley portions 54, 50 are shown as being arranged colinearly on a substantially vertical axis and secured to a plate 84 between side members 68 by a pulley mounting stud assembly 86. The pulley pair 48 is arranged colinearly on a pulley mounting stud assembly 88 on plate 84 that has its axis canted from the vertical to the right of the axis of pair 52 as illustrated in FIGURE 6 whereby the continuous belt 44 as it passes from the pulley pair 48 to the pulley pair 52 and thence to the idler pulley 38 and back to the pulley pair 52 and thence to pulley pair 48 will be continuously located out of interference engagement with itself throughout its path of movement to thereby minimize the frictional losses in the system that would otherwise occur.

In view of the above description, it will be appreciated by those skilled in the art that the present invention constitutes a new concept in garage door operators utilizing a movable differential pulley in a horizontal plane for effecting a necessary speed reduction between drive speed and driven speed of a garage door connected carriage assembly. The improved system includes in one aspect two differential pulleys that are arranged so that a continuous belt or cable will clear itself at all times to improve the operation of the device and, moreover, a further clearance provision effected by canting of one of the two differential pulleys to prevent any interference of the continuous cable as it progresses through its driven path. Furthermore, the carriage assembly is characterized by the manner in which it is slidingly, .supportingly received on an elongated tubular track to reduce friction and by an improved spring dampening system therein that reduces the impacting of the carriage assembly against stops on either end of the track.

While the embodiment of the present invention as herein disclosed constitutes a preferred form, it is to be understood that other forms might be adopted.

What is claimed is as follows:

1. An operator assembly for opening and closing a garage door or the like comprising, an elongated track, drive means supported adjacent one end of said track, a driven pulley operatively associated with said drive means, garage door connectible carriage means slidably supported on said track for movement longitudinally thereof in opposite directions therealong, differential pulley means on said carriage means, a continuous belt passing over said drive pulley and said differential pulley means to be driven thereabout by said drive means, said .differential pulley means rotatable upon passage of said belt therearound to effect a resultant reaction on said carriage means operative to cause relative movement of said carriage means to and fro on said track member at a reduced speed with respect to that of said drive pulley, said carriage means including a fixed base portion slidably supported on said track member, a movable base portion slidably supported on said fixed base portion, and spring members on either side of said base portions compressible upon relative movement between said base portions for damping impact between said carriage means and said track at the limits of the travel of said carriage means.

2. In the combination of claim 1, said differential pulley means including a pair of spaced pulley members each having first and second grooves formed therein of varying diameters for effecting the resultant reaction for producing relative movement of said carriage means along said track member, and wherein one of said pulley pairs is canted for guidingly directing said continuous belt through paths wherein no portion of the continuous belt is in frictional engagement with another portion of the continuous belt during the operation of the device.

3. In the combination of claim 1, said movable base portion having a support member thereon at each side thereof, and support means on said support member for carrying said differential pulley means, said differential pulley means being located by said support means in spaced relationship to said movable base portion whereby said continuous belt is located out of frictional engagement with said movable base portion.

4. In the combination of claim 3, said differential pulley means including a pair of spaced pulley members each having first and second grooves formed therein of Varying diameters for effecting the resultant reaction for producing relative movement of said carriage means along said track member, and wherein one of said pulley pairs is canted for guidingly directing said continuous belt through paths wherein no portion of the continuous belt is in frictional engagement with another portion of the continuous belt during the operation of the device.

References Cited by the Examiner UNITED STATES PATENTS 396,430 1/1889 Reichel.

2,861,800 11/1958 McKee et al. 268--59 2,884,788 5/1959 Clark 7495 X 3,231,260 1/1966 Shirley 268-59 HARRISON R. MOSELEY, Primary Examiner.

I. K. BELL, Assistant Examiner. 

1. AN OPERATOR ASSEMBLY FOR OPENING AND CLOSING A GARAGE DOOR OR THE LIKE COMPRISING, AN ELONGATED TRACK, DRIVE MEANS SUPPORTED ADJACENT ONE END OF SAID TRACK, A DRIVEN PULLEY OPERATIVELY ASSOCIATED WITH SAID DRIVE MEANS, GARAGE DOOR CONNECTIBLE CARRIAGE MEANS SLIDABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID TRACK FOR MOVEMENT LONGITUDINALLY THEREOF IN OPPOSITE DIRECTIONS THEREALONG, DIFFERENTIAL PULLEY MEANS ON SAID CARRIAGE MEANS, A CONTINUOUS BELT PASSING OVER SAID DRIVEN PULLEY AND SAID DIFFERENT PULLEY MEANS TO BE DRIVEN THEREABOUT BY SAID DRIVE MEANS, SAID DIFFERENTIAL PULLEY MEANS ROTATABLE UPON PASSAGE OF SAID BELT THEREAROUND TO EFFECT A RESULTANT REACTION ON SAID CARRIAGE MEANS OPERATIVE TO CAUSE RELATIVE MOVEMENT OF SAID CARRIAGE MEANS TO AND FROM ON SAID TRACK MEMBER AT A REDUCED SPEED WITH RESPECT TO THAT OF SAID DRIVE PULLEY, SAID CARRIAGE MEANS INCLUDING A FIXED BASE PORTION SLIDABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID TRACK MEMBER, A MOVABLE BASE PORTION SLIDABLY SUPPORTED ON SAID FIXED BASE PORTION, AND SPRING MEMBERS ON EITHER SIDE OF SAID BASE PORTIONS COMPRESSIBLE UPON RELATIVE MOVEMENT BETWEEN SAID BASE PORTIONS FOR DAMPING IMPACT BETWEEN SAID CARRIAGE MEANS AND SAID TRACK AT THE LIMITS OF THE TRAVEL OF SAID CARRIAGE MEANS. 